MRI-Safe ICD System

Implantable device to treat sudden cardiac arrest
approved for use in MRI scans

Methodist Hospitals is the first Northwest Indiana hospital to offer patients the first implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) system approved for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Many patients rely on ICDs to detect irregular heartbeats and deliver life-saving therapy to restore a normal heartbeat. They are small implantable heart devices that are placed under the skin, typically just below the collarbone, on the left side of the chest.

ICDs may be prescribed to continuously monitor heart rate and deliver an electrical signal to correct a life-threatening heart rate, if detected, to patients at risk for:

life threatening cardiac arrhythmia

sudden cardiac arrest

abrupt loss of heart function that can result in death if not treated within minutes

Until now, patients with ICDs have not been able to receive MRI scans because of potential interactions between the MRI and the device function, which might result in risk to patients.

These MRI restrictions have resulted in a critical unmet need. MRIs are routinely used for a wide range of diagnoses, including conditions such as stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and muscle, bone and back pain, all which are prevalent among older adults. Recent data reveals more than one-third of patients with ICDs are likely to need an MRI within four years. The Evera MRI™ SureScan® ICD System, which was introduced to Northwest Indiana by Methodist Hospitals, has been FDA approved to allow for MRI scans on any part of the body.

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